Oregon election worker accused of altering ballots

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Oregon election worker accused of altering ballots

OREGON CITY, Ore. — A part-time election worker in Oregon has been relieved of duty for allegedly changing ballots to favor of Republican candidates.

A Clackamas County spokesperson issued a news release stating the temporary worker, Deanna Swenson, was immediately relieved of duty once the allegations surfaced.

“Swenson is not a county employee but worked part-time at the elections division at the time of the Oct. 31 incident,” the release states.

RawStory.com reports the suspect is registered as a Republican and the alleged ballot tampering involved altering multiple ballots to benefit Republican candidates.

According to the Willamette Week, the 55-year-old Oregon City woman said the case involved “only” two ballots.

A criminal investigation is underway, as tampering with ballots is a felony, the Week reports.

The county spokesperson said the Oregon Department of Justice has been notified of the allegations.

“The Clackamas County Elections Division and the Elections Division of the Secretary of State are cooperating to ensure that every ballot marked by the voter will be counted as intended and that any ballot alteration in violation of election law will not be considered.”